Time Will Remember Us
by AquilaTempestas
Summary: He deserved to die to pay for his crime, but she couldn't do the merciful act. Now they're both on the run fighting for their survival. FemHawkexAnders, some slight FemHawkexFenris
1. The Fall

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Dragon Age don't belong to me, unfortunately. That belongs to BioWare.

**Title**

Time Will Remember Us

**Summary**

He deserved to die to pay for his crime, but she couldn't do the merciful act. Now they're both on the run fighting for their survival.

**.**

**Chapter One: The Fall**

It seemed like days had passed since Meredith's death, but only a couple of hours had gone by. Kirkwall was crumbling all around her, the sounds of battle filling up the streets. Corpses of humans lay scattered on the ground, as the battles continued. It was chaos. The overpowering stench of smoke and fire filled her nostrils, as she struggled to find her way through the madness unscathed. To her left, she spotted two mage parents protecting their three children from a group of templars, while to her right a mage was executed on her knees.

Kirkwall was no longer her home.

Staying in the city meant certain death; although she was the Champion of Kirkwall, she was also a mage. No place would welcome her with open arms now; she only had one option. Run. It was the last thing she wanted to do, but she could see no other option. Everything she had fought for was falling around her. Some mages were turning to blood magic to free themselves, but there were far too many templars.

"Hawke!"

She jerked her head in the direction of the voice and was surprised to see a dark elf standing across from her, a sword hanging at his side. She pulled out her staff, unsure of his following actions. "What do you want, Fenris?" she asked, keeping her eyes locked on him.

He lowered his sword. "You and I may not see eye to eye, but I'm not going to kill you."

Marian Hawke did not lower her guard. "I'm a mage. I was of the opinion you despised us."

"You are the exception to the rule."

"I guess I should be thankful then."

He glanced over his shoulder, observing the destruction around them, then turned back to Hawke. "I'm as much to blame as you are. I was there when... that abomination made us look for the ingredients," he replied, with a snarl. "We should've stopped him. I could've, but I chose not to do anything."

"What's done is done, Fenris," Hawke replied, putting her staff away. "There was always going to be a war."

He nodded. "What are you going to do now, Hawke?"

"I have to leave."

He tilted his head to the right, "Where, though? You have nowhere to go. The templars won't offer you mercy."

"I'll be in the wilderness somewhere." She recalled one of her journeys lead her to the Hunting Grounds with Tallis. Seeking refuge within the forests would at least give her some chance to hide. She didn't recall seeing any templars there. "I'll be fine."

"There's also the matter of Sebastian, Hawke. It's not just templars you'll have to hide from."

She had almost forgotten about Sebastian. He asked her to kill Anders, but she couldn't bring herself to do the deed. She was just as much to blame as he was. If only she had... "He'll have to find me first."

She turned around ready to leave, when Fenris spoke up again. "Why did you let him live, Hawke?"

Fenris was referring to Anders. Why? It was a good question. Why had she let him leave? His act had resulted in the deaths of many innocent people. He had lied to her, he had used her to gather the reagents for the bomb and distract the cleric, so he could plant it. At act of terrorism. Mages were at more risk than ever now, yet she couldn't find it within herself to kill him.

Perhaps it was because she held herself responsible for the events that took place. Or perhaps it was because deep down she agreed with him. Mages wouldn't have to resort to desperate measures if it weren't for the templars and chantry. And Anders was fundamentally correct – there would be no compromise, because there was no compromise. "I... couldn't let him die, Fenris. That would just be an escape, a way to avoid facing the consequences of his actions. He can make things right."

Fenris' eyes narrowed. "You still love him? After everything he put you through? He betrayed your trust, Hawke."

"I know," she replied, softly. "I hate what he did, but I can't hate him."

There was a brief moment of silence, before Fenris spoke again. "If you're going to leave, you need to go now. You'll find Isabella at the docks; she's managed to get herself a ship again," he explained, jerking his head in the direction of the docks. "Goodbye, Hawke." He raised his sword, turned his back, and headed towards Hightown.

One of the buildings collapsed nearby, prompting Hawke to move. In the corner of her eyes, she noticed more mages joining the corpses on the floor. Adrenaline pumping through her veins, she made a run for the docks. Her sprint wasn't caught unnoticed; the shouts of the templars calling out her name caused her to run faster than she ever had before. She was an enemy to the city now.

"Kill the mage!"

She briefly glanced over her shoulder. At least five templars were chasing her, their swords held high in the air. She came to a stop, spun around and held up her hands. Flames burst from her palms. Balls of fire dropped to the ground, killing all those that stood in the wrong place. While the templar's were avoiding the flames, Hawke used the opportunity to distance herself further.

It wasn't long before she reached the docks. She spotted Isabella standing on the deck of the ship, waving her knives to grab Hawke's attention. Her loyal companions, Varric, Aveline and Merrill were also present. "Over here, Hawke!" she called.

Freedom was only a few metres away. She headed towards the ship, when a voice called out her name. "Sister!"

Hawke froze. "Carver." She turned around expecting to see a large group of templars, but only saw her brother, standing before her dressed in templar armour. There was a deep cut on his face, a wound she suspected he had received in the battle against Meredith. Carver supported the templars until the end, when he helped her fight against the tyrant. But would he stand beside her now?

**.**

My first attempt at writing a Dragon Age story, so please bear with me. This will be based on what I would like to see happen following the events of Dragon Age 2. It'll be based around my female mage Hawke of a true good alignment. Reviews are much appreciated!


	2. Different Paths

Disclaimer

The rights to Dragon Age don't belong to me, unfortunately. That belongs to BioWare.

Title

Time Will Remember Us

Summary

He deserved to die to pay for his crime, but she couldn't do the merciful act. Now they're both on the run fighting for their survival.

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to Sentai-Rider Fan, the darks light and Skylar D. C for giving this story a chance!

.

**Chapter Two: Different Paths**

Needless to say, Hawke was quite surprised when Carver walked up to her. She noticed blood on his sword and armour, and suspected he had aided the templars in slaughtering mages. I wish it didn't have to be like this, brother, she thought sadly. But Carver had made his choice and there was no turning back now.

"Sister, we need to talk," Carver said, casting his eyes to the ship where his former companions awaited. They did not greet him with warm enthusiasm, rather, looked at him as if he were an abomination himself. "You can stop all of this, sister. Just give us Anders and you'll be safe."

Hawke crossed her arms over her chest, giving her brother a hard stare. "I'm not turning him over to you." Hell, she didn't even know where the other mage was. When the battle had ended, she split from Anders losing him in the crossfire. Had he already departed the city? He obviously was still alive if Carver was demanding his head on a pike.

"Sister... be reasonable," Carver urged. He lifted his blood stained sword and pointed towards the heart of the city, "There are countless of dead innocent people lying in the courtyard because of your... friend. Do what is right for Kirkwall and hand him over so the people can mourn."

"I don't even know where he is, and if I did, I would not turn him over to you," Hawke replied sternly, hand gripping her staff.

Carver frowned. "I have not forgotten your part in this, sister, but I'm willing to forgive you and so will the rest of the templars."

She snorted. "I'm sure they will."

He bit his bottom lip, glanced sideways, then turned back to face her. "This isn't what mother would have wanted for us."

"Mother would not have wanted you becoming a templar."

"You left me no choice! You refused to take me with you down into the Deep Roads! What was I supposed to? Stay at home and wait for you while you had all the fun and got all the glory?" Carver retorted, voice rising. "I didn't want to be in your shadow; I wanted to choose my own path."

"And so you chose to become a templar," Hawke said, furrowing her brows. "I don't want to stand against you, brother, but you're leaving me no choice. We can never stand aside together, not when we stand for different sides." Although they argued over every little detail, she loved her brother dearly. She was his only family left besides Gamlen.

Silence fell between them, each lost in their own thoughts until Carver spoke up again, "Where are you going to go? Back to Fereldan?"

Hawke shrugged; she hadn't thought that far ahead yet. "It's probably safer there than it is here with the Blight now over."

"The templars will never stop searching for you."

She nodded grimly. "I know, Carver. That's the risk I've chosen to take." She turned around, then glanced over her shoulder, "I have a ship to catch, Carver."

He sighed, shoulders dropping. "Then this is farewell. Take care of yourself, sister."

"You too, Carver."

.

He sat in amongst the rubble lying scattered across the bloodied streets, listening to the cries of battle happening around him. Sitting on his knees, he searched around for the Grand Cleric's body. There. She was barely recognizable now. Staring at her lifeless disfigured form caused a surge of anger to course through his veins. She was innocent. She didn't deserve to die. "Oh maker, why didn't she listen to me?" he mumbled.

The mages were to blame for this entire episode, and he was going to slaughter every last one of them when he returned home to Starkhaven. He trusted Hawke; she seemed like a reasonable mage, unlike the rest of her kind. But now he realized she was just like every other mage in existence – evil and deserving of death.

"I will hunt you down Hawke. You and your precious Anders," he said, through clenched teeth. Once again, he cast his gaze down on the dead cleric, lying in a pool of blood. She had lost an arm and a leg thanks to the explosion, but the other lost victims had suffered more. The templars had left the courtyard to hunt down mages, but the local townspeople were present, grieving for the dead.

Hawke's time was limited. Despite all the power she had at her fingertips, she didn't have the ability to simply vanish. He would search far and wide with his army, tearing through every city, every forest and mountain, in search for vengeance. But before he left for Starkhaven, he would pay his respects to the fallen.

.

The smell of death surrounded him.

It didn't matter where he ran or hid, death seemed to follow him. A bloody war had erupted between templars and mages after the chantry exploded, and it was his entire fault. Every mage they had saved had a death sentence placed on their heads now thanks to his actions. He could hear Justice's voice shouting in his head, demanding for every templar's death.

"This isn't justice... this is vengeance..."

Justice. Vengeance. They seemed to be the same thing now. He couldn't tell the difference apart anymore. He was just an abomination; no, he was worse than that. Abominations didn't blow up buildings. He was... something else. He didn't have a clue where he was now, but he didn't care. Live or die, it didn't matter.

Better to be dead than spend the rest of his years as a fugitive, but somehow he didn't think Justice would let him die. Not that easily anyway. He began to wonder what would happen if he did die. Would Justice simply inhabit another host? Or would he die with him? The sounds of the dying broke him out of his thoughts.

He needed to get out of here and quick, but where to go? His other companions were nowhere to be found. He suspected Hawke and Merrill were both in hiding, but the rest he wasn't sure. They weren't in immediate danger; they weren't mages. Justice's cries seemed to only become louder, almost deafening. He tried to push the spirit aside, but he was far too strong. He had too much control...

"Just... get out of my head..." he mumbled, leaning against a stone wall, trying to regain control from the spirit. But it was no use. Too overpowering. His last shreds of humanity were fading. Soon, Anders would no longer exist; Justice would be in complete control.

.

And that's another short chapter down. In the next one, Hawke and Anders will reunite and Fenris gets involved in something he wishes he hadn't. Reviews are greatly appreciated!


	3. All in the Name of Love

Disclaimer

The rights to Dragon Age don't belong to me, unfortunately. That belongs to BioWare.

Title

Time Will Remember Us

Summary

He deserved to die to pay for his crime, but she couldn't do the merciful act. Now they're both on the run fighting for their survival.

**Special Thanks**

Big thanks to Sentai-Rider Fan and Skylar D. C for your reviews! Also, thanks to the authors who have added this story to their favourites and alerts list. I hope future chapters do not disappoint.

.

**Chapter Three: All in the Name of Love**

The screams. The tortured cries. It just wouldn't _stop. _He wanted to bang his head against the wall and knock himself unconscious just to give himself a brief respite from the horrible sounds. But Justice kept him awake. Justice didn't let him sleep. He couldn't even wallow in his own thoughts without Justice interrupting.

Hawke. Marian Hawke. An image of her face appeared in his mind, her blond curls falling around her shoulder. The image was as clear as anything; it was as if she was standing before him, looking at him with those deep green eyes. Maker's breath, why did she have to be so perfect? He didn't deserve her. She deserved better. Hawke deserved someone who was sane... someone who wasn't a danger to be around. But she had chosen to love him despite the warnings.

_The mage female must be killed. Your infatuation with her has turned you weak._

Weak? No, he wasn't weak. "You don't understand... you're just a spirit..." Anders protested, but his argument fell flat. Justice had been in him long enough to understand how human emotions worked. "I... need to find her." If anyone could save him from himself, it was Hawke. She had seen him at his worst and yet, she chose to stand by him.

Determination to find Hawke was strong enough to block Justice' voice temporarily, but it wasn't going to last. He needed to find Hawke quick before Justice took control. Turning a sharp corner, he hurried down a vacant street after ensuring there were no templars around. All was quiet. Far too quiet. He held his staff at the ready in case a stray templar walked by, but none seemed to be present.

"She should've killed you," a voice spoke from the shadows, prompting Anders to turn around abruptly. Out of the shadows appeared Fenris with a bloody sword held in his right hand.

"Somehow I thought I'd be seeing you again," Anders replied.

Fenris moved closer, never taking his eyes off the apostate. "Count yourself lucky she holds you in her highest regards otherwise you'd be lying amongst the countless bodies filling the streets. I would kill you myself, but I don't want to hurt Hawke." He circled around the apostate as if he was his prey.

Although Fenris often disagreed with Hawke's views about mages, Anders knew he the broody elf cared for the champion. He didn't admit it, of course. "Your affection for her surprises me. I thought you hated mages." Fenris was his least favourite travelling companion; it irked him when Hawke brought him along on all their adventures.

Fenris nodded. "Hawke's strong, unlike you," he spat.

Anders felt a very familiar sense of anger rise up within. "I'm _not _weak."

"And you've just proven to me that you are," he replied.

"What exactly do you want?"

Fenris glanced over his shoulder, then turned back to face the mage. "There's a group of templars heading your way right now. Hawke is waiting down at the docks with a ship ready to set for Fereldan. I can distract the guards... but I need a promise. Look after Hawke. If she dies I swear I _will _come after you."

Anders knew that threat was not a jest. Fenris wasn't exactly known for making jokes. That was Varric's role. He struggled to think of a response to Fenris' threat, but failed to come up with anything. He simply nodded. Fortunately, Fenris seemed to accept that. "Thank you for sparing my life," he said.

"You should be thanking Hawke. I'm doing this for her sake, not yours," he replied curtly. It was at that precise moment Anders realized Fenris was also in love with Hawke. Maker's blood.

.

Merrill placed a comforting hand on Hawke's shoulder. "I'm sorry about your brother, Hawke. He seemed like a nice fellow. A little bit troubled, but nice."

Hawke wanted to put on a brave face and pretend that everything was alright, but she couldn't do it. Her family had fallen apart thanks to magic. Gamlen was right. Magic _was _a curse and there wasn't a damn thing she could to do end it. As long as a Hawke mage lived, the curse would never end. "I can only hope he doesn't find himself in a spot of trouble," she said, trying to lighten the dreary mood with a lame attempt at a joke.

"Do not blame yourself for any of this, Hawke," she said. "No one could have predicted this was going to happen."

"Thanks, Merrill."

Merrill nodded and headed back down into the ship's cabin, shaking her head as she said, "Why can't we all just learn to get along?" She soon disappeared leaving Hawke alone standing on the ship. They were scheduled to set sail immediately, but Isabella remembered she had lost the gift Hawke had given her. She didn't want to leave without it so Hawke kept guard while Isabella searched the remains of the Hanged Man for the gift. The whole episode was a waste of time – but aside from Isabella, no one knew anything about ships.

"You know, when we get to Fereldan, I'm going to find someone who can publish my book," Varric said, hobbling up towards Hawke's side, Bianca slung over his shoulder.

Hawke glanced down at him, a worried expression on her face. "I'll see if we can make time to find a publisher when we're not running away from templars," she said sarcastically, earning a soft chuckle from her dwarven companion.

"The Rise and Fall of a Champion, a true story about the apostate, written by Varric Tethras."

"That's a pretty bland name, Varric."

He shrugged. "Would you prefer me to call it, 'Marian Hawke's Life Story?"

That name was even less inventive. Hawke shook her head vigorously, causing a strand of blond hair to fall out of place. She lifted a hand, and pushed it back behind her left air, then spoke again, "What did you write about? I hope you captured my glorious moments in detail."

"Oh, you know, just the usual stuff people like to read about. Romance, triumph, defeat... your drinking habits..."

She lifted a curious brow, "My drinking habits? I hope you haven't written me as a drunken hero." Varric was an odd one; entertaining, but some of his ideas were just a little too crazy. She remembered in his one of his drafts he implied she was fat.

Varric shook his head. "Of course not." He lowered his voice, and grinned up at her, "I made out you were a recovering from a severe addiction to drinking. It's inspiring." He winked at her to show he was only joking.

"One of these days, Varric..." Hawke warned.

The grin remained on his face. "Oh, you wouldn't lay a hand on the lovable dwarf. All my fans would be mad." He chuckled again, then his expression turned thoughtful. "Are you worried, Hawke? About what the future might bring?"

"I'm not nervous," she stated firmly.

"I wish I was just as confident as you, Hawke... but you haven't failed us yet." He fell silent, observing the destruction of the place he had begun to call home. The city was barely recognizable now. "What are you going to do about Anders, Hawke? You know he's still in the city."

She was worried that Varric was going to bring up the topic of Anders, but she knew it was going to surface sometime or another. Somewhere in the crumbling city of Kirkwall, Anders was in hiding. She wanted to find him before the templars did. But where to look? "I want to find him, Varric, but I'm not sure if Anders wants to be found."

Varric frowned, then sighed. "I think you should look for him, Hawke."

She shot him a look of surprise. "I never thought I'd hear you say that."

The dwarf shrugged. "I can't leave the story hanging like this; the readers will want a conclusion. Simply writing, 'Hawke left him to his fate', doesn't seem fitting. It reads like a tragic sappy love tale, but you're the only reason he managed to hold out for so long."

That fact was true. "You're right. I need to find him," she said simply, grimacing at the thought of having to fight her way through the ruined city again. "Keep on guard, Varric. I promise I won't be gone for long." With her staff firmly gripped in her right hand, Marian Hawke made her way back into the heart of the city.

.

Fenris is helping Anders to escape, but will he keep his side of the bargain? Will Hawke being able to find Anders in time? I attempted to add some form of humour in here with the book naming – got some inspiration from Neverwinter Nights. The more exciting stuff will happen in the next chapter. Reviews are greatly appreciated : )


	4. There is No Hope

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Dragon Age don't belong to me, unfortunately. That belongs to BioWare.

**Title**

Time Will Remember Us

**Summary**

He deserved to die to pay for his crime, but she couldn't do the merciful act. Now they're both on the run fighting for their survival.

**Special Thanks**

RPG Girl, Skylar D.C and Sentai-Rider Fan for reviewing the previous chapter! I apologize for the wait – I went on a month long holiday and only recently returned. Enjoy!

.

**Chapter Four: There is No Hope**

Anders followed the broody elf around the crumbling city, observing the destruction surrounding him. More corpses. More blood. More broken homes. All caused by his hands. Innocent people had died here all because of him. His stupidity. His selfishness. It only brought blood. It only - "Mage, I need you to focus otherwise you'll get both killed," Fenris snapped, glaring at the mage.

"What have I done?" he mumbled. A killer. A cold blooded murderer. His hands could never be washed clean of this.

"Stop dwelling on the past, mage. You brought this upon yourself now you have to deal with the consequences. Like I mentioned before Hawke should've killed you, but she couldn't. _I _would've killed you myself if I wasn't concerned for Hawke's wellbeing," he replied scathingly. He couldn't make his hatred for Anders much more obvious. "You can either continue to whine and repeat yourself, or you can do something good with the remainder of your life."

Hawke. Hawke. Hawke. It was always about Hawke. Everyone talked about Hawke, but why shouldn't they? She fought to save the city from falling. She was a hero, a champion. Someone the bards would sing about in many generations to come. But Anders? No, he was simply an abomination. "Where is Hawke?" he asked.

"Somewhere away from you and that's how it should stay, but I know Hawke. She will come looking for you." There was a clear trace of disappointment in his tone. Fenris had always hated Anders. He seemed to hate him even more because of his involvement with Hawke. Was it jealousy? It was hard to know what thoughts the elf had.

"We don't deserve to be hated," Anders replied, feeling anger rise. Mages only turned bad because of the way templars treated them, not because mages were born evil. "Doesn't the blood of innocent mages make you angry?"

Fenris opened his mouth to reply, but closed it immediately. At first, Anders wondered why he had stopped talking, then he heard the sounds of footsteps coming from the south.

_Templars!_

Justice's voice rang in his head, almost deafening.

He tightened his grasp around his staff and held it in before him protectively. Fenris quickly withdrew his sword. The two rivals edged forward carefully, scanning their environment. Fenris had led them both into a deserted closed off alley. "Was this part of your plan, Fenris?" Anders questioned.

The scowl on the elf's face suggested things weren't going the way he originally planned. "We need to double back and take the first turn. Your complaining distracted me," he muttered. He turned around. A group of five templars stood before him, each one wielding a bloody sword.

"Not so fast, elf. You're guilty of helping mages escape," Knight-Captain Cullen spoke, taking a step forwards. He then glanced in the direction of Anders. His expression hardened. "You can avoid further bloodshed if you hand over the mage to us."

Fenris shook his head. "I made a promise I wouldn't."

_They must all die! _Justice screamed in his head.

"No..." Anders muttered. "Must... stay in control."

"Think carefully, elf. Do you intend to take us all on? You are outnumbered more than two to one. This is not a battle you can win," Cullen replied, his expression cold. "I'm giving you the option to hand over the mage peacefully... refuse and we shall take him from you by force."

Once again, Fenris shook his head. "No."

"It's Hawke, isn't it?"

Fenris remained silent. Knight-Captain Cullen sighed. "So more blood must be spilled." He rushed forwards, sword drawn ready to strike. Fenris moved swiftly meeting Cullen's blade with his own. The other templars joined their leader surrounding Fenris. Every time Fenris evaded, he'd step right into another attack. This was a battle he was going to lose.

Justice's anger surfaced and once more Anders lost control of the spirit inside. He aimed the tip of his staff towards the captain then sent forth an icicle burst. Two templars were frozen, while the other three were thrown back. Again he struck, this time sending forth a lightning bolt. An unlucky templar was thrown off his feet. He hit a ruined wall with a loud smack, then dropped his head slamming against the ground.

"Leave the elf! Get the mage! Stop him before he strikes again!" There was a brief burst of light.

Justice screamed in his head again, his tone laced with venomous rage. _Kill them! _Anders prepared to cast another spell, but nothing left his wand. He panicked. Without magic he would stand no chance of defending himself against the templars. There was only one option now. Run. He turned to flee, but his brief moment of hesitation had cost him dearly.

The templars had recovered and they had him covered. Fenris lay on the ground, clutching his right arm, blood seeping through his cloth. "This ends here, mage. I'd kill you here, but the court wants to hear your explanation before they condemn you to death," Cullen said, pointing the tip of his sword at Anders' throat. "Take his staff. I want it destroyed," he ordered, glancing sideways at a templar.

"No..." A destroyed staff wouldn't affect his ability to cast magic, but his one held special significance. The staff even had a name, Freedom's Call and it represented his core values and beliefs. For as long as he held that staff, he vision for a better world for mages existed. Now... that vision was nothing but a foolish dream.

An unnamed templar grabbed the mage's staff and threw it into a nearby fire. The flames danced around the staff before consuming it, turning the staff into ash right before Anders' eyes. Anger was quickly replaced with grief. This was just a game to the templars, a game to break a mage. Being made tranquil was usually the end result, but that wouldn't be his fate. "Take him away to the Gallows where he will face trial in front of the public," the captain ordered.

"What about the elf?"

"Take the elf as well. He can rot behind bars."

.

I liked Cullen and all, but for the purpose of this story he's not going to be particularly nice during the beginning. He'll get better overtime though. Poor Anders – what's going to happen to him now? What will Fenris do now that he's betrayed Hawke's word? Will Hawke arrive in time? Reviews are much appreciated, as always!


	5. Tough Decisions

Disclaimer

The rights to Dragon Age don't belong to me, unfortunately. That belongs to BioWare.

Title

Time Will Remember Us

Summary

He deserved to die to pay for his crime, but she couldn't do the merciful act. Now they're both on the run fighting for their survival.

Special Thanks

RPG Girl, Skylar D.C and Sentai-Rider Fan for reviewing the previous chapter! Also, thanks to everyone who has taken the time out of their day to add this story to their alerts or favourites list. Your support is invaluable.

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**Chapter Five: Tough Decisions**

He awoke to the sound of tortured screams echoing throughout the sewers. The stench of piss, vomit and blood filled his nostrils, and made his stomach tighten. Looking around he found other injured mages nearby, sobbing quietly in tightly knit groups. Justice's voice screamed in his mind and for once, Anders let Justice rage. There was nothing either of them could do; the place was heavily guarded. He would be struck down instantly if he acted.

Where was Fenris? He tried to find the broody elf, but Fenris could not be spotted. Anders assumed the elf had been taken to a different part of the sewers, possibly in a far worse area. Resigning himself to the fact he was alone, Anders moved to the back part of his cage, resting his back against the bars and he awaited his fate.

"I know you... you are the one who condemned us to death!" an elderly mage woman said through cracked teeth, sending him a hateful glare in his direction. She too was in a cage, holding a severed arm with her left hand.

"Please... you have to understand... I did it to save us all..." Anders pleaded.

She spat at him through her cage bars. "You brought death to our kind."

"What would you have done in my position? The conflict between mages and templars was never going to change... I wasn't going to sit here and continue to watch my kind suffer," Anders replied scathingly, hoping the woman could learn to see reason. "War was inevitable no matter what conclusion we came to. I brought a change," he added.

The elderly mage spoke no further. Wispy strands of grey hair fell around her face, shielding her pale blue eyes from him. She turned her body away and focused her attention on something on the floor. Anders sighed. Even his own kind wanted nothing to do with him. Could no one see? Were they all blind? Did they want to die?

_They will die! I will have every last templar for these abuses! Every one of them will feel Justice's burn!_

Anders felt rage surge through him, as Justice's thoughts became louder. Blue cracks opened in his skin revealing Justice's form, as the spirit began to take control again. Anders tried to force Justice out of his own, but the spirit was far too strong. He screamed in his head, trying against all odds to regain control. "You've had your justice and look at what's it done!" Anders shouted. "I don't want your help anymore!"

_Justice... answers to nobody!_

Anders buried his head in his hands as pain coursed through his body. Justice. Vengeance. Whatever the hell it was. The spirit's anger was tearing him apart inside, trying to devour the human part of him so Anders would no longer exist. Pain. So much pain. It was as if his insides were being twisted then torn apart slowly to prolong the pain. He screamed again, aware that he was being watched by the other helpless mages.

"Anders!" Someone called his name, but who? It was enough to give him temporary control over Justice. He looked around panting, searching for the woman who dared to speak. His eyes fell on the elderly woman who had previously yelled at him. "You can win this fight." The change in her tone, her expression, took him by surprise. Why was she suddenly being so civil towards him?

"I don't know... what you are talking about."

"I have dealt with those possessed by demons."

"Justice is... not a demon."

"You need to make a trip to the Fade." The Fade. That was the last place he wanted to go to. Justice was much stronger there than he was in this world. Anders didn't reply. "It's your decision to make, but what will it cost in the end?"

.

Fenris fell to the ground, gasping for air. The past few hours had been quite eventful – his captors attempted to force information out of him about Hawke's whereabouts by torturing him. But nothing they did came close to the suffering he received in the past. He remained quiet. He took each hit without a word.

"The elf refuses to speak, knight-captain," the templar said, withdrawing a fist from Fenris.

Knight-captain Cullen stared at the elf, "Tell me, elf. Why are you hiding? Why do you care for these... mages?"

Still, Fenris refused to speak.

"Where are your friends, elf? Where's your precious... champion now? Help me find your friends and in return, I will grant you protection from the templars, this I promise to you."

"If you think I'm going to sell out my friends to you then you're sadly mistaken," Fenris replied, finally deciding to speak. He spat out some blood onto the floor, then wiped his mouth removing all traces of it.

The captain struck Fenris, hard. "You are guilty for helping a mage free other mages resulting in the deaths of many templars and innocent people. That is punishable by death... I'm going to ask you again. Help me find your friends and you will be safe from the templars. I will even let you strike the killing blow against the one you call Anders."

The templar's offer was a good one, but could he be trusted? He could easily turn against Fenris at any time. But the captain had given him no reason not to trust him... Killing Anders was the one thing he wanted to do and the captain was going to give him that chance. But turning Hawke in? He wouldn't go that far. Hawke had gone out of her way to protect him; he planned to do the same for her. "I can't tell you."

Cullen sighed, disappointed. "You'll be doing us a favour, elf. You've seen what mages do and I'm sure you've experienced their brutality first hand," he said, eyes lowering to the lyrium marks on his skin. "I understand you want to protect your friends, but you need to think about this carefully. Your _friends _are a group of criminals. The only reason they've escaped the law is because they have proven to be useful."

Fenris spat at his feet. "I'm not going to let you murder them."

"Such loyalty... it begs me to ask... where did this loyalty come from? An elf friends with a dwarf? A warrior standing with mages? What spell has Hawke cast upon you?" He searched Fenris' eyes for an answer. "Why support this mage, elf?"

It was a question he often found himself struggling to answer. What kept him tied to Hawke? She did him a favour and he repaid her by offering his services, but Hawke didn't need him anymore. So... why did he continue to protect her? "That's none of your concern." She tested his loyalties at the end, putting forth a convincing argument to stay with her.

"Friendship? Love, perhaps?" he goaded.

Was he in love with Hawke? Was that why he stayed at her side despite her standing against everything he believed in? No. It wasn't possible. An elf, in love with a human? A mage nonetheless! It was absurd! But it makes perfect sense, a voice teased. Fenris chose to ignore that comment. "What do you want to know?"

.

Will Fenris tell Cullen the truth or will he lie through his teeth to protect Hawke? Chapters will probably get a little bit longer in the future as the story progresses. As for the separation thing I am running off a theory I came across in a forum once. Who knows if it's possible or not, but for the purpose of this story it will be. Reviews are much appreciated, as always!


	6. Note

Well, after much consideration, I have decided I'm going to rewrite this story completely from scratch under a new name and summary. The most recent chapter didn't exactly receive a warm response, so I'm doing what I think is best, and starting again.

To those who actually enjoyed the story, I'm terribly sorry, but I do hope you'll be there for the new version. It will be called, 'Betrayal and Redemption'. Keep an eye out for it.

Thanks again to everyone who took time out of their lives to give this story a chance.


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